The Beatles Demos That Are Already Good As Hits

The Beatles are known for their greatness in songwriting. During their glory days as a foursome band, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr boldly explored the areas in which not anyone dared to go; that’s how they’ve determined to prove that music isn’t just about fancy sweet talks or silly songs— it’s about the passion to express yourself.

As we’re blessed to know the Fab Four’s well-beloved songs, they’ve also had their fair share of demos that were quite great but didn’t see the light at the end of the day. With that in mind, let’s take a look at these Beatle demos that could also pass just as well as their hits.

“The Palace of the King of Birds” (1969)

This lovely outtake of Paul McCartney’s “The Palace of the King of Birds” is a revolutionary piece that would eventually mirror those of their material on Magical Mystery Tour. This one is an instrumental jam that is deemed classic.

“A Case of the Blues” (1968)

Lennon spearheaded this pretty lowkey tune that he would eventually try to monopolize again in the tracks “I’m So Tired” and “Cry Baby Cry.” Kurt Cobain of Nirvana once revealed that this demo helped him shape a distinct tune that’ll become influential in Nirvana’s sound.

“Tomorrow Never Knows” (Take 1) (1966)

“Tomorrow Never Knows” is an amazing track, but the song’s first take is a cohesive framework of all the good things that the Beatles revolutionized. This one, in particular, is amazing as an entity.

“Circles” (Esher Demo) (1968)

This George Harrison-penned track is among the famously dubbed “Esher demo” tapes that weren’t given much importance during its formation. “Circles,” tells us the formation of life and its never-ending cycle.

“Strawberry Fields Forever” (1967)

This one Beatle classic has undergone numerous changes until its final release in 1967. This featured demo below shows Lennon backed up with a steel-string acoustic guitar that still felt surreal.

https://youtu.be/-Ib3hKqJHvs